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Archive for the ‘Women’ tag

Aug 27, 2019

Key Uncertainties About the Future of Women

Posted by in categories: economics, policy, sex

In the past several months, the issue of ensuring a truly equal future for women in society has risen up the agenda of global challenges – whilst at the same time indicators suggest the actual gap is growing globally. From harassment and #metoo to #timesup and the rights to equal pay and equal access in education, the workplace, and the boardroom, women have been succeeding in spotlighting the issues and arguing for their rights. So, as we look to the future, some fundamental questions arise: What is the future of women? Are women’s futures different from men’s futures? How do we proceed in the coming years to embed a gender equality mindset while accounting for the unique challenges women face?

This article draws on insights from our recent book – The Future Reinvented – Reimagining, Life, Society and Business to explore how business and society can adjust to ensure a more positive future for women, focusing on what we consider to be critical agenda issues. We conclude with our advice and dreams for the future of women.

Areas which could benefit significantly from the increased participation of women

As we look to the forces shaping our world, it is clear that society as a whole could benefit significantly from the increased participation of women in the future of technology development, elected governmental roles, and higher education. For example, we need to better understand that an algorithm can be racist or sexist before integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into our social systems and institutions. The new book by Dr. Safiya Umoja Noble, Algorithms of Oppression, is a great example of the kind of critical thinking about its broader social implications that the technology sector needs.

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Dec 6, 2017

Raising the Profile of Women Futurists

Posted by in categories: ethics, futurism, human trajectories, philosophy, sex, sustainability, transparency

An Interview with Jennifer Gidley

by Tracey Follows, Founder/Director of the Female Futures Bureau

Jennifer Gidley is a former President of the World Futures Studies Federation (2009−2017), a UNESCO and UN partner and global peak body for futures studies scholarship, she led a network of hundreds of world leading futures scholars and researchers from around the globe. An adjunct Professor at the Institute for Sustainable Futures, UTS in Sydney, futurist, author, psychologist and educator, Jennifer is a prolific author of dozens of academic papers, serves on several academic boards, and most recently authored Postformal Education: A Philosophy for Complex Futures (Springer, 2016) & The Future: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, 2017).

Tracey: I spoke to Jennifer about her perspective on Female Futures.

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Mar 9, 2016

Death Reversal — The Reanima Project — Research Whose Time Has Come

Posted by in categories: aging, biotech/medical, business, cryonics, health, life extension, neuroscience, posthumanism, science, scientific freedom

I have spent the last 30 years in various aspects of the biopharmaceutical industry, which for the most part has been a very rewarding experience.

However, during this time period, having been immersed many different components of therapeutic development and commercialization, one thing has always bothered me: a wide array of promising research never makes it off the bench to see the translational light of day, and gets lost in the historical scientific archives.

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I always believed that scientific progress happened in a very linear narrative, with each new discovery supporting the next, resulting ultimately in an eventual stairway of scientific enlightenment.

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Mar 8, 2016

An A-Z of Women Pushing Boundaries in Science and Tech | Motherboard

Posted by in category: science

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“March 8 is International Women’s Day, and to mark the occasion we’ve put together a list of just a small sample of women currently doing groundbreaking work in the fields of science and tech.”

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Mar 2, 2016

Here’s What Happened When We Asked Elon Musk About Equal Pay For Women — By Emily Peck | Huffington Post

Posted by in categories: business, Elon Musk

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - FEBRUARY 25: Elon Musk attends The Dinner For Equality co-hosted by Patricia Arquette and Marc Benioff on February 25, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California.  (Photo by Mike Windle/Getty Images for Weinstein Carnegie Philanthropic Group)

“The SpaceX CEO’s answer was encouraging.”

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Feb 11, 2016

Defend Your Research: What Makes a Team Smarter? More Women — By Anita Woolley and Thomas W. Malone | Harvard Business Review

Posted by in categories: science, strategy

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“The finding: There’s little correlation between a group’s collective intelligence and the IQs of its individual members. But if a group includes more women, its collective intelligence rises.”

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Dec 17, 2015

5 Steps Toward Gender Diversity Every Company Can Take Right Now — By Claudia Chan | Fast Company

Posted by in categories: business, governance, human trajectories, innovation, strategy

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“Plenty of forward-thinking companies have innovation divisions that try and predict the future, disrupt old models, and develop cutting-edge products. They don’t nest those divisions inside their human resources departments. So why shouldn’t gender diversity efforts be a part of corporate innovation?”

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Oct 13, 2015

Ada Lovelace Day — Today — 13 October 2015

Posted by in categories: engineering, science

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“Celebrating the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and maths”

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